Burner for steam-automobiles



vF. l. DU PONT.

BURNER FOR STEAM AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION HLED Nov, 20, 1918.

1,385,366, Patented July 26, 1921.

i To all whom it may concern:

if the main fuel V UNITED STATES PA EN 0 rumors I. no Tom, on WILMINGTON, nELAwAEE, AssIeNoa To'nEnAwAE 01mm: can ENGINEERING COMPANY, or WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A ooRronAnoN oF DELAWARE.

BURNER FOR STEAM-AUTOMOBILES. 7,

Be it known that I, FRANCIS I. on PONT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilmington, county of New Castle, and State of Delaware, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Burners for Steam- Automobiles, of which the followin isa full, clear, and exact description, rei erence being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

, In the operation of gasolene or kerosene burners for steam automobiles, consider- .able time, skill, judgment and care are reuired to initially heat the burner. For t ispurpose a pilot light is provided. The same comprises a small burner, a small mixing tube, a small fueljet and a relatively short vaporizing tube connected with a supply of gasolene maintained at a pressure of thirty pounds to the square inch. The pilot light burner is so located that it heats both its own vaporizer and a portion of the end of the main vaporizer.

The pilot light burner performs two main notions. First, it serves to initially ignite the main burner; secondly, it relights the mainburner every time the automatic mechanism operated b the steam pressure cuts off the main fue supply and turns it on again. The pilot'light burner, in performmg the second function, operates quite satis-' or acetylene torch,

through necessary to wait until the flame from the pilot light sufiiciently heats the end of the main vaporizing coil, so that the main fuel supply may be turned on.. -If good judg ment is used,theburner starts properly.

If, however, an thing is done irregularly,

troublesome con itions arise. For example,

the pilot has sufficiently heated the small portion of the .main vaporizing coil. immemixing tubes of the of the pilot nearly red hotgasolene supply for the,

which is supply is turned on before,

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 111$ 26, 1921. Application filed. November 20, 1918, SerialNo. 263,279.

If, then, it be discovered that is not Working properly, and

main burner. the pilot light it is necessary to reheat it, the fact that this has collected there to catch fireyand then as long as any-fire exists underneath'the burner, it is impossible to start, because the gasified fuelwill take fire in the mixing tube instead of in the furnace. -It is, therefore, necessary to use great caution, and to ac quire considerable skill, in starting the furnace. Otherwise, a great delay will result, aswell as possible clogging up of the burner with lamp-black, I The object of my invention is to eliminate all the troubles attendant upon initially, starting the burner. It is a further object of the invention to expedite the starting of the burner by permittingthe fuel supply to be turned on immediately after the application of the external heating or flame-pro= ducing agency. A furtheriobject of the invention is to start the-mainburner independently of thepilot light burner and to, limit th functions of the latter to the re-,' ignition of the main burner'when, during operation, the main fuel supply is tempo -v rarily interrupted by the action of the auto. matic mechanism controlled by the steam pressure, and to maintaining a part ofthe main vaporizing coil hot enough to facili-. tate quickstarting when the pilot light is. left burning. A further object ofgtho in vention is to insure the proper starting of the burner after the application of the external heating agency, whetherthe fuel supplies to both burners are turned on quickly or tardily, or whether they are turned on together, or whether either one is turned on, before the other, thereby much reducing, the time required to start the burner and removing, as factors essential to successful start ing, the elements of care, skill and judg- It will be appreciated that the successful, attainment of these objects removes one of the most serious objections to automobiles of the steam type. 1 I v i I attain the objects above enumerated by, a construction of great simplicity". A ie-f ferred embodiment of theinvention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which} Figure 1 is a plan view, a-front elevation; and Fig. 3 a side elevation of the com lete burner. Fig. 4. is a cross-section 611 line 4-4; of Fig. 1. i

The fire pan a is shown as of the usual construction, packing b of asbestos or clay extending along its peripheral wall. The main burner plate 0- is a. thin iron castin rovided' with a great number of very sma 1 holes. The main fuel vaporizing coil (1, leading from a supply of kerosene or other hydrocarbon fuel, extends over the burner and terminatesoutside the fire pan. From a point am the forward terminus of the coild shortpipes e andf of relatively small diameter" communicate res ectively with r jets b' and. It. The mixing tubes z" and j extend from-in" front of the fuel jets horizontally beneath the burner c.

The pilot l-iglitburner comprises a small chamber provided with openings, prefermy slotted, a small mixing tube m, and a small jetn, the latter being connected, threltgh a tiibe 0, with a vaporizingtube 1, which extends, for a short distance, over the baffles c and also over the burner is. The tube p is connected with a supply of gasolene maintained at approximately thirty pounds to the s uare inch pressure. construction cf my improved burner,

- so far as it has been described, exhibits no element of novelty." I shall now describe the impi'fovement which I have applied to the known burner; V

The ends of the two vaporizing tubes d and p projecting outside of the furnace are inclose'd within a tubular chamber 1*, whose interior is in free and open communication with the interior of the furnace and whose outer eitreinity projects beyond the extr'mities of the vaporizing tubes d and p. The small pipes or tubes 6, f and 0, leading tdthe jets g, It, and 1t, extend through the tube '7" with brazed, flame-tight joints. The outer end of the tube 1 is provided with. a cap a" having an opening adapted to be closed by a swinging shutter t.

With my improvement, assuming that bhth the mainburner and the pilot burner are extinguished, all that is required to start the burners is to proceed as follows: The shutter t is swung open and a flame from a gasqlene blow-torch m, or any other flameprojecting device, is directed through the. opening in the cap 8 into the interior of the tube r. The flame envelops the ends of both vaporizing tubes and the pipes are heated so quickly that almost immediatel the supply of feelfor the main jet. and pilot light may turned on, and it is immaterial which one is turned on first. 'As soonvas the burner has started, the slew torch is withdrawn and the ca"; 8 isclosed.

'einvention the following advesta s eve: t e means commonly emp rg a same u n r.

It is not necessary to heat and start the 7 pilot lightpreliminarily to initially igniting 1 supply and turns it on again and to maintain a part of the vaporizing coil hot enough to facilitate quickstarting.

The loss of time, heretofore incurred in the initial lighting of the burner, due to waiting until the pilot light suflicientl y heats the end of the main vaporizing coil, is avoided.

It is unnecessary for the operator to use the care, judgment and skill heretofore required to determine when the pilot light is sufficiently heated and in turning on the main fuel supply at just the proper time.

Since the opening through which the flame is projected is sufliciently distant from the fuel jets, it is possible to apply the flame any time without danger of igniting the fuel issuing from the jets.

Even if a collection of liquid fuel accidentally occurs in the burner, there is no danger of setting this on fire when heating the vaporizing coils preparatory to starting.

The troubles arising from failure to exercise care and judgment in starting are avoided for two reasons. First, since a powerful flame can be injected along the vaporizing tubes themselves, they become heated at once; and second, even if the fuel should be turned on before they are quite heated, no trouble results, as the flame is not near the fuel jets, but, instead, is where it erves to ignite the mixed fuel as it issues from the burner.

The ends of the vaporizing tubes are kept. hot by reason of the tube 1 being in communication with the interior of the furnace.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a hydrocarbon fuel burning apparatus for steam automobiles, the combination with the furnace, of a burner plate within the furnace, and a vaporizer within the furnace and having a portion extending to the exterior thereof and adapted to be heated either by means of said burner plate or by external means, there. being an opening to permit said heat byexternal means so placed that the flame used in said external heat will also serve to ignite the main burner as soon as fuel is turned on.

2.- In a hydrocarbon fuel burning apparatus for steam automobiles, the combination with the furnace, of a main burner and a pilot light burner within the furnace, a main fuel jet in operative relation with the main burner plate, a fuel jet in operative relation with the pilot light burner plate, and fuel supply tubes leading to the respective jets and ositioned and arranged to be heated either y the respective burners or by externally applied heating means between the jets and the parts of the tubes in operative relation with the burner plates.

3. In a hydrocarbon fuel burning apparatus for steam automobiles, the combination, with the furnace, of a main burner plate, avaporizer adapted to be heated by the main burner plate, a main fuel jet, a pilot light burner plate, a vaporizer adapted to be heated by the pilot light burner plate, both of said Vaporizers having portions on the exterior of the furnace, and a pilot light fuel jet, and provisions for heating said portions of the Vaporizers on the exterior of the furnace by external means so positioned and arranged that the external heat will also serve to ignite the main burner as soon as the main fuel jet is rendered operative.

' 4. In a hydrocarbon fuel burning apparatus for steam automobiles, the combination, with the furnace, of a main burner late and a pilot li ht burner plate, both within the furnace, uel jets in operative relation with the respective plates, fuel supply tubes lead ing to the respective jets, and an inclosure through which said tubes extend, said inclosure having 0 enings, one in proximity to said plates and the other for admission of an external ignition a cut, both said jets being located outside said inclosure.

5. In a hydrocarbon fuel burning apparatus for steam automobiles, the combination, with the furnace, of a main burner and a ilot light burner comprising fuel jets and uel supply tubes leading through and out of said furnace to said jets, a chamber inclosing those parts of the fuel supply tubes which lead out of said furnace but not inclosing either of said jets, said chamber having an opening through which a. flame may be projected to heat the fuel supply tubes inclosed within said chamber an to i ite both the main burner and the pilot Ii ght burner.

6. In a hydrocarbon fuel burnerfor steam automobiles, the combination, with a furnace, of a main burner plate and a pilot burner plate within the furnace, mixing tubes extending into the respective burner plates, a heating chamber opening into the furnace, and adapted for the admission of externally produced heating and ignition means, fuel jets outside the furnace and the heating chamber and in operative relation with the respective mixing tubes, fuel supply tubes in operative relation to the respective burner plates and extending into said heating chamber, and connections from said tubes to the external fuel jets.

7. In a hydrocarbon fuel burning apparatus for steam automobiles, the combination with the furnace, the main burner plate, and the main fuel jet and mixing tube associated therewith, the pilot light burner plate and the fuel jet and mixing tube associated therewith, the main fuel vaporizing tube and the auxiliary fuel vaporizing tube, said tubes extending side by side outside the furnace, of a preliminary-heating chamber opening into the furnace and inclosing the portions of said tubes extending outside the furnace, and tubular connections between the inclosed portions of the tubes and the respective jets, said tubular connections extending through the wall of the heating chamber with flametight joints.

8. In a hydrocarbon fuel burning apparatus for steam automobiles, the combination with the furnace, a main burner and a pilot light burner and fuel jets and fuel supply tubes leading through said furnace and out of same to said jets, of means to project a flame from external sources upon part of said fuel tubes within said furnace while maintaining said projected flame out of communication with both fuel jets.

9. In a hydrocarbon fuel burning apparatus for steam automobiles, the combination with the furnace, a main burner, a pilot light burner, fuel jets and fuel supply tubes leading through said furnace and out of same to said jets, of a heating chamber inclosing that part of the fuel tubes which emerge from the furnace, said chamber be ing in communication with the interior of the furnace, said chamber also having an opening through which a flame may be projected along that part of the fuel tubes which extend from the furnace into the chamber, said opening being at a distance from the fuel jets sufficient to be safe against ignition of both said jets.

10. In a hydrocarbon fuel burning appa- =ratus for steam automobiles, the combination with the furnace, of a main burner plate and a pilot burner plate within the urnace, mixing tubes extending in the furnace adjacent to the respective burner plates and opening outside the furnace, fuel jets outside the furnace in front of the respective mixing tubes, vaporizer tubes within the furnace extending adjacent to the respective burner plates, a heating chamber extending outside the furnace, with its inner end opening into the furnace and its outer end having an opening through which a flame may be projected along the length of the chamber, said vaporizing tubes being prolonged to extend inside the heating chamber, and pipe connections extending from those parts of the vaporizing tubes within the heating chamber to the outside of the furnace and there connected with the respective fuel jets.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Wilmington, Delaware, on this 19th day of November, 1918.

FRANCIS I. on FONT, 

